


The Date

by AlleyKathorne



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Romantic Fluff, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29291223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlleyKathorne/pseuds/AlleyKathorne
Summary: Usagi sees a Facebook post about some fancy dinner at a super-elite restaurant, it's a contest for Valentine's Day and she wants to win so badly; unfortunately, she doesn't have anyone to go with. I wonder if she could ask one of her friends..? Alternative universe, secret identities included, another timeline because wibbly-wobbly... timey wimey... stuff.
Relationships: Chiba Mamoru/Tsukino Usagi, Senshi/Shitennou
Kudos: 11





	1. The Contest

"Their attacks have _no consistency_ , like... What is it that they want?" Rei spoke up, she was waiting for her Chai tea to go cold, all the girls could tell by the movement of her hand, circle motions with the spoon inside the cup. She didn't do much, but rest her face on her hand, leaning lazily over the table as she stirred.

Things had been rough for the girls lately, it had been only a couple of weeks ago that things had dramatically changed, the random attacks at a certain elite school had kept them awake for several nights now.

"We think they're after..." Ami started, unsure, hesitant as if she couldn't say the next word, she turned her gaze to the left corner of the screen. The idea was plainly heartless, to think there was someone out there looking for souls to steal, bodies to corrupt and basically just cause harm; was unacceptable, especially for her. Ami appreciated life, and she was sure she wanted to become a doctor in the near future, this was her contribution to society.

"Ami and I have been revising our notes, there's something really weird going on at Mugen Academy, there's some kind of pattern..." The black cat explained as she came up to a sitting position. Luna was resting over the desk where the laptop was, she was listening to the whole meeting the Senshi held over Zoom. So far, there hadn't been the need to step up and make a comment, but the girls weren't making any progress.

Ami shared the screen and showed her friends a very useful slide where she had organized plenty of information, that included the last three enemies they've fought with, the dates, their powers, and the score... Because yes, they had lost all the battles, the only reason Earth was at peace was because of the help an unidentified power duo offered them. The bluenette seized the occasion to discuss new strategies and revealed her predicted dates for an upcoming attack, everything was poorly based on an algorithm of her own, but they all knew Ami never had it wrong, this was what she did, she was the intuitive thinker of the group.

Artemis got closer to the glamorous gold iPhone. Mina was far too busy lying in bed waiting for the timer to ring, she was relaxing while enjoying a new face mask involving charcoal. He expressed his opinion and agreed with Ami, they needed to be ready, the situation was getting complicated, the random appearances of these new enemies were getting more frequent, and they couldn't lose the next time, that wasn't an option.

"Oh, Ami. I seriously hope you're wrong with your calendar. We have exams next week." A far-away voice said, her voice sounded a bit struggled and they were all barely able to hear. It had been Mina who wanted to participate in the conversation but couldn't really open her mouth because of the product on her face, she couldn't actually move because she would stain her bed but she was listening to everyone.

The girls laughed and mocked their friend briefly, a small ray of light in the whole meeting, a joke never hurt anyone, even Luna acknowledged that. All the Senshi had been so worried and stressed with their secret lives, it was always easy to forget who they really were, young girls trying to live their best lives, and that included dealing with exams.

Makoto made fun of Mina's sudden interest in school. There was nothing to worry about, they always did the same thing, they held a study group either at the Shrine or the Fruits Parlor Crown, the second one was always a great option, whenever Motoki was free, he joined them and saw if he could help them with anything, sometimes it was Umino and his nosey self who joined their booth, but they always let him because he was indeed smart, his social-awkwardness didn't really matter during exam season, and the last one... Long drum roll, please.

_Chiba Mamoru._

Now, this was an odd situation, he never joined them because he held a helping spirit, no. He did it because Ami usually asked him a serious question and he couldn't skip the opportunity to discuss any nerdy topic, or because he was hearing all the girls getting the information totally wrong, so he had to clarify things, especially to a certain blonde who was the one who struggled the most, and as you can guess, things never ended well.

Usagi and he were always bickering with each other, which was even more distracting, sure they were friends and everything, and it was utterly amusing, but at the same time, it didn't help their study sessions.

"Speaking of, where are we meeting? At the Shrine?" The brunette asked, face hidden behind her falling bangs as she leaned over her legs, she was getting her toenails done in a beautiful pink color.

The girls talked about it a moment, except for Usagi. She wasn't really interested in next week's plans, she would join them, of course, because of snacks, soda, and juicy gossiping with Minako but not because she was really interested in studying.

"Oh my God!" Usagi screamed in surprise, it had been the first time she had opened her mouth during the whole meeting. The Senshi and the cats turned their attention to her panel, what was up? "The Ritz Carlton Hotel is giving a free date for couples!" Her eyes shone bright and her hands went up to her face, covering her astonished expression. "Get out! That's the coolest hotel ever!" The blonde met the girls' puzzled gaze on the other side of the screen, this was such an Usagi-thing.

Luna almost face-palmed herself, if she could, of course... She jumped off the desk and went to her comfy bed, the meeting was over for her, she knew the topic of concern was now another one. Plus, she couldn't really fight her cat nature, laziness ran in her blood.

"Wait, Usagi, what are you doing?" Rei asked now interested, she leaned forward and tucked in her loose blackish strands of hair behind her ears, she had all intentions of listening. "Which restaurant? Can you choose?"

"I'm not sure..." Usa scanned the text as quickly as possible, trying to take in all the information. "Dinner for two... Valentine's Day... Set of pictures... Story how you met each other... Nope. It doesn't say."

"Show the post! I want to see!" Mina shouted from the distance, she was still laying down and waiting for the charcoal to get dry so she could move.

Usa waved with her hand and asked Ami to stop sharing the screen, her friend listened and did so, while shaking her head... Come on. Usagi struggled with technology, so she wasn't able to show them the post she was staring at, because of course, she hadn't paid any attention to the meeting, she had been scrolling down her Facebook the whole time, commenting on Naru's pictures, stalking on Mamoru's oh so boring profile, looking at the Game Center Crown promo, hitting the like button for Unazuki and her new boyfriend, she even uploaded a screenshot of their meeting, and that's when she saw it... A post on the official restaurant's Facebook page.

It was some kind of contest aimed at couples, February was the month of love and that could only mean one thing, money. And yes, I know how bitter it sounds of me to say such a thing, but it's true, at least when it comes to business. The Ritz Carlton Hotel wasn't the only one offering this kind of event, there were clubs throwing a dance party for single people, like a matchmaker thing; smaller businesses also played an important role this month, like cafes and cinemas, offering a free drink or some snack for your significant other. What made so special this announcement was the place itself, like have you seen the building?! The tower was breath-taking, no doubt! All those mirrors, more than 200 rooms, and the magnificent view! Usagi was drooling already, she had to win that thing!

"You know what, I can't share the screen. I'm just gonna tag you." She exclaimed in frustration, why is it when something important is up, the computers decide not to cooperate? "Ugh," The blonde exhaled, typing as fast as she could until she smashed the 'enter' key. Soon there was a silence, they were all reading the post and nodding at the screen.

"It's the Towers Contemporary Grill," Ami commented, her index finger pushing up her reading glasses, of course, it specified the restaurant. "That's fancy and expen-"

"Who cares Ami!? They're giving away a free dinner!" Minako shouted once more, her eyes glowing in excitement. She had reached a sitting position now, holding her iPhone in one hand and the other explained, this was indeed a lifetime opportunity.

"Can you imagine how many couples will enter the contest?" Rei said, still looking at the screen, high brows and mouth opened.

"It does sound romantic, I've never been there, but look at the pictures, the view is stunning." Mako was also mesmerized by the post, she had opened a new tab and googled the place.

This was the power of Valentine's Day, their attention was immediately drifted to their significant others. This dinner was everything a young couple could ask for, an elegant location, a fancy menu, a personalized service... Everyone wants to be pampered on that day.

Mina showed Artemis the screen and he was the one to kill the silence. "Take a break girls, you need this. Just keep in mind you're guardians before anything else, okay?" Sure, they could fantasize with boys, dates, and gifts... But in the end, they had a mission, and that would always get in the way, their lives just couldn't be normal. They all came back to Earth with such comment and just nodded in reply, their duty came first, no matter what. "That will be all for today."

The official meeting was over, now they could talk about the amazing opportunity this free dinner represented. Usagi was super excited! Can you imagine having dinner there? Her chin rested on her hand, she looked so damn thoughtful as her gaze pierced the screen, she had to win this thing, one way or another. She closed the tab and sighed, if only she had someone to go with...

"I'm gonna ask Jadeite out." Rei declared out of the blue, leaning back in her chair and swirling on it for a brief moment, all the girls stared at her panel with wide eyes. She was convinced this was the right thing to do. — _Not really._ Jadeite and she had been spending way too much time together, nothing was official yet, they were 'friends,' but you know... Those kinds of friends who smile at each other almost every five seconds, those friends who lower their gaze when they meet each other's, those friends who brush their hands casually against the other person, with the hope they might gather some courage and actually hold it, those friends... Who make your heartbeat go crazy, unsteady... And you just beg for the damn thing to stay still because it will give you away.

Yeah, _that was the thing between Jadeite and Rei._

"Are you—, really?" Ami inquired, giving her friend a shocked expression, totally! That was so bold! Not that the blonde boy would reject her; no, he was absolutely under the priestess' spell, they all have seen that, but wow! She was willing to make the first move.

Mako took the chance and threw a curve at her friend, she crossed her arms at the time an evil smirk took over her features. "Oh please, aren't you and the pretty boy... What's his name?" She snapped her fingers, because dammit! She couldn't remember his name, but Nephrite mentioned they were friends or something. "Oh, the one with the curly hair! Aren't you two like a thing? It's Valentine's Day Ami." Yes, Mako did it on purpose, she was pushing her friend out of her shell, the suggestive wink was proof enough.

"What? Nooo!" Ami blushed like never before, she went straight red! "No, no, no, Zoi and I are just friends! That's all." Her hands tried to explain with poor movements, her body language had betrayed her, Zoisite was indeed her crush, but she didn't dare to make it public. And I mean, come on, we can't really judge her, Zoisite was a handsome guy, although his real beauty laid inside. He was such a gentleman, always so polite and charming, plus he had the brains, enough to be paired up with Ami and call it a total success.

"But notice how she's calling him Zoi, not Zoisite." Usa pointed out, her index finger judging her friend. This was amusing.

"Nooo. Stop it, he's just..." Mizuno ran out of words, those girls were in their zone, talking about boys, flirting signs, and potential couples, as smart as she was, she couldn't win. "A good friend. We like hanging out at the library and talking about things. That's all, we don't even have each other on Facebook."

The girls laughed at such a weak argument, poor Ami, she really knew nothing about relationships, Facebook meant nothing. They all joked about it for another couple of minutes, encouraging Ami to send him a friend request, what was the worst thing it could happen? They all were sure Zoisite would accept it in a blink.

"Well, as much as I'd like to be spoiled at The Towers, Nephrite and I have already planned out something," Mako confessed and told them what they were doing. A pink blush rose to her cheeks, this boy made her so happy... Nephrite was simply the best, he admired Makoto's badass side as well as her gentle ways, plus her cooking skills sealed the deal. She had him eating right from her hand.

"I really thought you and Motoki would get serious," Usagi said with a frown, she loved Motoki like an older brother or something that dear to her heart, so it was no surprise she was disappointed things didn't really work out for them.

"Yeah, me too," Rei added, nodding in response.

It had been at Makoto's birthday party they had got together, so they were still in that phase of their relationship. Nephrite was really making her happy and they all could tell. The plan was a small dinner she'd be making for both of them, he was coming over to her place, something simple, quiet, and cute. And you bet they all threw out the question, especially Minako, she went all suggestive and such, no filter.

"Come on, he's an older guy! I'm sure he'd love to hit the sheets with you!" She practically yelled, earning a pair of looks from her friends. The blonde shrugged immediately, feigning innocence. "Somebody had to say it!"

Makoto laughed and put special emphasis on the word 'dinner,' she wasn't sleeping with her boyfriend, not just yet, she wasn't ready for that, and she knew Mina too well to get offended by her statement, she saw love and lust everywhere.

"I'm in. I'll tell Kunzite to take the damn pictures with me." Mina confirmed smugly, ugh... Please, they were both models, and rather famous actually, of course, they would win. Also, their relationship was very controversial, some people called on him for being older, some people said Mina wasn't that young, the tabloids always had something to say about them.

"Pft! Guys, I don't even have someone to enter the contest." Usa said, pouting. She wanted to go there and have fun, it was such a dreamy restaurant. "It's not like I can ask Endymion, you know? He just shows up in my dreams and calls my name, well... Her name. — Serenity. My point is, we haven't even looked for him!" She complained.

Now, this was a recurring topic... Usagi didn't possess all her memories, the process had been long and rather exhausting. First, she found out she was a princess, then she realized of the whole Silver Crystal's responsibility and finally she got to know she had a lover, but all she's given is a name and a blurry silhouette.

Ever since then, Usagi has dreamed about him, each night is a different face, she likes to think he's still alive, but sometimes... As the days pass, she can't help but think he may no longer be between them, and that idea pierces her heart. It's her soulmate what we're talking about here. What if she never gets to meet him in this life? These dreams weren't doing any good to her.

"Their job is not to look for your long lost lover, Usagi, and you know it. Their job is to protect you." Luna declared from her spot near the window, she wasn't in the meeting anymore but she could still hear it all, and while she loved Usagi deeply, she couldn't afford the Senshi of the Moon to be distracted with a boy.

"What did she say?" Mako asked, motioning with her hand. She already knew the cat had scolded Usagi, but she wanted to know her exact words.

Usa repeated her previous statement and made a face, it wasn't fair. They had all just recently discovered Endymion was princess Serenity's lover and he had been reborn as well, except they didn't know who he was. How could they help her find him?

"Usagi-Chan..." Ami started, then she opened her eyes wide and gasped. "We'll find him, I'm sure." She rushed out to say. "He's probably looking for you as well." She tried to say in order to cheer up the blondine a bit, she was looking at the screen now with fake confidence, something had happened to Ami, because she desperately tried to draw all the attention towards Usa, and it worked.

They all tried to lighten the mood for Usagi some more, but the truth is... This was the real thing, and it was depressing because all of them had just bits of information about their past lives, and most of them didn't even make sense. Some things they knew were because they had a weird dream, or Luna and Artemis explained the facts in simple language, but not because any of them remembered.

Makoto said her nails were ready and she could move now, so it was time to go. She shifted in her chair and all the girls watched her pick up her manicure items, apparently, she had put extreme effort into the design.

"Is that why you're doing your nails?" Rei accused as the final joke of the night, they weren't letting it go that easily. She was banging the sheets this Valentine's. Makoto blushed at the time her jaw dropped, she just left the meeting, this was abuse already. The girls laughed like crazy, they could be so mean at times.

"Do you think she got mad?" Usa asked, still amused.

"I wouldn't know. But I think Rei is right." Aino high-fived her friend, as possible as it was while in a virtual meeting. Rei shrugged and gave them all a smug smile, raising her palm to meet Mina's flying hand, sometimes she could read people this easily.

"I'm off too, girl. We've got classes at 7 am. Don't forget!" Ami said with a yawn, she waved goodbye and left too quickly, what was up with her?

"Ugh, thank God I don't go to school with you, guys." Rei laughed and commented she had classes at 10 am, so she would be still watching a movie. "You must be up too early. How does that work out for you Usagi?" She teased.

"Oh! Shut up, Rei!" Usa snapped back, sticking out her tongue and crossing her arm. Rei and her sharp tongue, argh!

"Love ya', Tsuki." She blew her friend a mocking kiss, waved off, and left. She never meant those heavy jokes, Rei would die for any of those girls without thinking it first.

That left Usagi and Minako, together, unsupervised.

"I've already texted Kunzite." She confessed with a mischievous laugh. "He's in." She confirmed with utter satisfaction as she slid up her finger, she was probably getting rid of the notification coming from her boyfriend. Kunzite was joining her in this stupid contest. Mina just knew they had it in the bag.

"What is it with you and older guys, really? He's what? Twenty-something?" Usa rolled her eyes, sure Kunzite was handsome and everything, but wasn't he... Ah, nevermind, Mina was happy, that's all that mattered.

"Indeed, he's twenty-something, and I love it!" She replied, making a 'v' with her fingers and placing it around her tongue while winking. What did that mean? No idea, but Usa shivered at the thought, it had to be another innuendo, but she wasn't asking about it.

"Take that thing off your face, it's freaking me out already." Usagi joked, pointing at her face mask, it certainly looked dry.

"Oh, right! It said 40 minutes! And the timer didn't ring!" Mina screamed, her hands flying to cover her mouth. "I need to rinse this off! Bye, bye, Usagi-Chan see ya' tomorrow!" She winked at her friend, made a peace sign with her right hand, and logged off.

Mina disappeared and Usagi was left alone. She was a bit annoyed, how come she didn't have a date for the stupid contest. She wanted to have a fancy dinner, at least once in her life. The blonde shut down her laptop and went looking for her pajamas, it was a bit chilly so it was better to go to bed.

_I could always ask someone at school... Or I could ask Motoki to go with me?_

She was getting changed when her phone buzzed, she tilted her head and pulled down her sleeping sweatshirt. Usa approached the buzzing device and saw the screen, quirking a brow.

_Chiba Mamoru has commented on your photo._


	2. The Question

Soft sleeping noises escaped Usagi's pouty lips. Her hands held onto her pillow as she laid flat on her stomach. Her left foot was hanging from the bed, taking in the cool weather. Usagi was wearing her sweatshirt, she was covered in her blanket; the lilac one, the one who had the little crescent moons and stars. It was the perfect combination, she was doing okay, more than okay. Her cheek rested peacefully against the cold side of the pillow, which she had recently flipped over.

"Hmm..." The blonde hummed in her sleep, wincing a bit. What was that thing? She felt something weird brushing her milky skin, it was wet and raspy... And tiny? She complained once more but this time her barefoot tried to kick it away.

"Usagi... Usagi..." A delicate voice said close to her ear, she was barely able to hear it. Oh my, she was so tired and her bed was so warm; she didn't want to leave it, ever. The school was not worth the effort.

"Ouch!" Usagi Tsukino screamed in pain as it sank in. Something had bitten her ear, she woke up fearful, panicked! Her hand curled over her sensitive skin. "Ow!" Another complaint followed. Her body rested on her back now, she had tried to reach a sitting position, but her body refused to cooperate at all.

It didn't take long for her door to crack open, Shingo was in her room ready to cause some mischief. "You are gonna be late! Haha!" The young boy declared. His messy blondish locks swept along the indoors breeze, he popped his head inside the room; only to mock his sister. "You're such a sleepyhead!" His sing-song voice didn't help at all either.

It was then when Luna got tired of it all. She made one of those creepy cat sounds, those that can pierce your ears and cause some shivering. Her shiny red eyes stared at the younger Tsukino, and that was enough for him to disappear. Shingo seemed to be terrified of cats, perhaps it was just Luna, who knows... He made a face at Usagi's pet (They all believed she was her pet) and shut the door behind him.

"Oh God, Luna... What's wrong?" And she was finally awake.

Usagi had no idea what was going on, all she wanted was to sleep. If only she knew... Her alarm had rung three times already, Luna had shut it off every single time! She had been the creature who licked her feet, her cheek, and had also nibbled on her ear, but nothing had worked! That, until Shingo, raced out the door furiously.

"Usagi! Wake up! You're gonna be late!" She yelled, jumping on the girl's stomach, trying to catch her attention. Why wasn't Usagi the responsible type? Ugh... "Look at the clock, Usagi! Come on!" Luna's voice sounded so desperate! She regretted it in a flash, thinking Shingo may be back. (They also could swear Usagi talked to the cat at night, and what's even worse, the animal actually replied to her.)

Usagi lifted her arms and stretched out, she was sitting now, her legs still covered by the warmth of her blanket. "Uhm?" She said with her morning voice, still sleepy and a bit dizzy from the good scare. "What? What are you talking—" Yawn.

Luna couldn't take it anymore, she lifted her upper body and used her front legs to push down Usagi's chest.

Desperate times, desperate measures.

"Look at the clock! 6:30 am and you're running late! Get up!" Poor kitty growled. Her tiny paw tried to turn Usa's head towards the night table so she could have visuals. She wasn't overreacting, it was in fact late!

The blonde went pale and her gorgeous sky blues went wide. Her palm met her face with plenty of strength and self-hate. Was this for real? This happened more times than she would have liked to admit.

"Fuck! Damn it! Not again!" Yes, Usagi ended up cursing, she had set the alarm for this precise reason, what went wrong?

In a swift movement, she got rid of the duvet, her legs kicked the covers and she got up with a jump. "Luna where are my socks? Have you seen them?" So it began. Usagi ran from side to side in her bedroom, gathering her uniform together as she stumbled with her own hair. The blondine cursed a few more times, especially when she got hit on her left foot. She released a gasp of horror, filled with some pain. We all know the bed footboard is a killer weapon waiting for the right time to attack. That morning had been Usagi's turn.

To hell with it, she had taken much worse injuries, this wasn't stopping her. It did hurt, not gonna lie. But she wasn't taking the time to check up on her foot, because that's exactly what she was running out of! Time! Usagi kept moving, sweatshirt off, socks on, sleeping pants off, pleated skirt on, and so on. She didn't bother to brush her hair, she could do that at school, she only sectioned it and did her iconic buns in a rush. No breakfast either, it was washing her face and brushing her teeth or actually feed herself... She'd buy something to eat later or steal something from Mako's generous lunchbox.

In approximately 10 minutes, Usagi was out in the streets. She was running like desperate with an injured foot, which she ignored. She was whining and complaining as her short legs took her as fast as possible, she still needed to catch a bus.

Once at the bus stop, the blonde tapped on her schoolbag impatiently. Three minutes and that thing wasn't anywhere around. "No, no, no... Please..." She was very anguished!

Argh! Usagi grabbed her bag and ran some more, she was Sailor Moon, she could do this! Her extraordinary long pigtails flew with the wind. She was making it on time, even if it was the last thing she was doing!

Usagi ran so damn fast, she turned to see the traffic lights and noticed how the green one blinked. She could cross, it was fine. —Not!

A red Alfa Romeo SZ came to a stop with the most horrifying squealing sound ever caused! Those breaks were on fire! The car never made it anywhere near the distracted schoolgirl. Although, Usagi did hit the floor. She fell to the ground because of the loud and clear tires' sound against the pavement. She had lost her balance thinking the vehicle wouldn't stop.

"Dammit! Don't you know how to drive!" She snapped furiously, looking up to the jackass who hadn't respected the traffic lights.

"Odango?!" A black-haired male screamed in surprise. He had gotten out of the car the moment he saw a figure falling to the ground. He thought he had committed murder! "Oh, God! I can't believe you! You don't even know how to cross a street!" Arms in the air and a mocking expression, why did she act like a little girl who needed constant supervision? Ugh. He even rubbed his forehead, exasperated. It was always her, she always came in the way!

He shouldn't have, he really shouldn't have...

"I don't know how to—?!" Usagi repeated word by word, as her anger rose, a glare was not enough to express the disdain she felt for the nerd. "Fuck it, Mamoru! I don't need this right now!" The blonde got up in a rush. She avoided his helping hand with such sureness, he was touching her ever in his life. "Get off me!" And yes, she pushed him with her tiny hands, she hated when he had the 'jerk mode' activated.

Mamoru watched her still petrified, that had been a bad fall, was she even okay? He withdrew his hands at the time her furious voice rang inside his ears, why was she so upset? Yeah, I mean, she fell to the floor because of him, but... He was trying to help her, he never meant to cause any harm. Mamoru himself was in a rush as well, for different reasons though.

Usagi was this close to telling him some more when the corner of her baby blues caught the sight of a bus. "What?! No, no! You gotta be kidding me!" She exclaimed ducking down and picking up her iconic school bag. She had crossed the street and was now running down. Usagi was getting on that bus one way or another, it all happened so fast. The blondine didn't even give Mamoru time to process it all.

"Hey! Bunhead! Wait!" Mamoru yelled at her. All he was able to see was her flying pigtails and her clearly disheveled appearance, what was up with her? Without any more second thoughts, the black-haired man climbed back in his car. He roared the engine to life and took a very odd turn so he could follow her. "Usagi! Usagi!" He tried once more. The car window was down and the cool crispy air seized the opportunity to hit his deliriously good-looking black locks. But the girl wasn't turning her head, what was it now, was she ignoring him? This didn't really help his anxious self. Mamoru drove at 2 mph, very close to the sidewalk. Good thing it was so early in the morning, the streets were about to come to life; even he knew he couldn't drive like that. "Usagi, just get in, will you? I'll drop you off at school. I'm sorry."

She finally came to a stop and turned her head to stare at Mamoru, was he serious? She could use the lift, I mean, she had already missed the bus. No matter how fast she tried to run, that thing was already way ahead of her. Usagi stumbled for a brief moment, then flicked her wrist to look at her bunny watch. "How fast can you drive? I've got ten minutes to be at school." She declared already disappointed in herself, this had been all her fault, why didn't she wake up? Did she forget to actually set up the alarm? Ugh, she couldn't believe her luck.

Mamoru grinned at the blonde, she had no idea, did she? His ocean eyes scanned her lovely figure, Usa's arms were crossed and her right foot was tapping on the floor, so cute and so naive at the same time. He threw the passenger's door open at her, that should be enough invitation. "Let's go."

The blonde released a small huff and got in, she even rolled her eyes, this was unbelievable. She climbed into the car and buckled up. Needless to say, she was the one who pushed Mamoru into a conversation by saying 'thanks' and 'sorry'. Usa told him about the exam and how the alarm hadn't rung at all. She even included Shingo in her tale, the petite blonde was a very chatty creature. All of this while she took out a hairbrush from her bag and fixed her hairstyle. She got the visor down and tried to manage a decent look with what she had at the time.

"Relax Usagi, will you? We're almost there." His words tried to cheer her up. Then he offered to call her each morning till she picked up, and that way she'd never arrive late ever again. Usagi beamed at his offer, yeah, that could work, not to mention that would be nice. Both dorks talked about their totally opposite morning routines. This arrangement seemed fun, Mamoru was very pleased she had agreed, but he wouldn't admit it, ever.

The car pulled over at their destination, Usagi grabbed her bag, waved goodbye, and got ready to go. Of course, she didn't count luck wasn't on her side...

"Argh." Usa winced when she moved her feet, pain had sunk in since she hadn't given the proper attention to her injury. Mamoru turned his head in automatic, what was wrong? His eyes followed Usa's hand to her knee, she wanted to bend down and touch her feet... Yet, he didn't say a thing.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. No worries, baka. Thanks for the lift." The blonde rushed out hiding the absolute discomfort she felt. But once she was out of the car she noticed the worst had happened, the school was closed.

"No, no, no! Come on!" She screamed in denial, noooo. She ran, she chased the bus, she got in a car with Mamoru, she... She had woken up late, end of. The universe wasn't against her, this was a domino effect, in its finest expression. Usagi got closer to the gates, she even pulled at them, but nothing happened.

They made it to school five minutes late. Usa wanted to cry, she had knelt right in front of the entrance. Mamoru didn't really know what to do. His fingers were tapping anxiously against the steering wheel, this wasn't happening. He was running late as well because of this, but he would never tell Usa so. He glanced at his watch one last time and got out of the car.

"Heeeey... Usagi..." He approached the poor girl, carefully placing his hands on her shoulders. His voice was soft and low, he wasn't sure how she would take it. Tsukino peered up, big blues ready to burst out.

"I had a test today! What am I gonna do?" The tears began to fall down, followed by her sobs. She pulled at one of Mamoru's hands and leaned her cheek over it, what was her mom going to say? What about her friends? She blamed herself for a few more minutes until Mamoru began to feel uncomfortable. He didn't know what to do when people cried, he didn't have the emotional skills to deal with it.

"Usagi, don't... Get up, come on. I'll drop you home—" Mamoru took a step back and slid his hands under her armpits, so she could stand up; he wanted this scene to be over. He had accepted the fact he wasn't making it to school either. That was way out of the table now... It was a lost day for both of them.

"What? Noooo, Mamo. I cannot go back home, no. My mother will kill me, literally kill me." She warned, how could he even suggest that? Usagi jumped in a second and she was back on her feet. "It's fine, I'll... I'll... Don't worry, okay?" She smiled sincerely, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. She had already decided she was hanging at the arcade till the day was over, then she'd go home, no biggie. But if she said it out loud, Mamoru would flip.

"What about you? You must be so late already! Why are you still here? Go, Mamoru! I'll be just fine." She insisted, then offered the nerd a wink with a cocky eyebrow. He needed to get back in his car and go away now, she didn't want to ruin his day as well. Usa sighed and began pushing him towards his vehicle.

"Okay, okay! I'm leaving now!" He confirmed, turning his head back at Usagi, would she okay? He walked close to the door and stopped one last time. "Take care, Odango. See you around." Then he climbed into his car, only to disappear the next minute.

* * *

"Uh-huh..." Usagi was super focused on a claw machine. One of her hands dominated the joystick with extreme precision, while the other held her mobile phone.

"Five minutes late, can you believe it? Ah, it's fine Mina, I was gonna fail that test anyway." Minako-Chan was on the other side of the line. The girls were probably on their lunch break now, so they could call Usagi and find out what had happened. What they didn't know was that Usagi was keeping some details to herself. For example, the fact she was hanging at the Crown Game Center.

Ami spoke next, she told Usagi a few things about the importance of school and some other stuff that Usa didn't comprehend at all. The blonde nodded and agreed to everything, there were much more important things at the moment, they just didn't know...

"Come on, come on, don't fall down..." Usagi whispered at the Tuxedo Mask plush that was hanging from the claw. It was so ready to land on the bottom left corner of the game, and she couldn't wait for it...

"Usagi?" Makoto asked, was the blonde even listening to them? The girls exchanged some looks, what was her friend doing?

"Yeah, it won't happen again, I get it." She confirmed. The girls were worried about her bad school habits. They knew she was no brainy but her education was still important... Usa hit the 'drop button' and beamed, at last! One thing is going right! "I'm sorry girls, my breakfast is ready, gotta go! See you later today." And she hung up, no chance for them to say goodbye.

The sparkly and bubbly rabbit was super excited, she had won! Now she was the proud owner of a Tuxie, small size, yay! She ducked down, pushed the door open, and picked up her prize, needless to say, she screamed in delight! She held the tiny thing to her chest and whispered sweet nothings to it. She was so in love with the hero! And how could she not? They both had a weird thing going on... Sure, he saved her on a frequent basis and he was always there with a piece of advice for Sailor Moon. But once the chaos was over, Tuxedo Mask was a fun guy, funny, charming, and even playful at times. Plus, he always teased her with a rose as a way to say goodbye. They were a thing...

"Well, yeah. You're right, she would have let me in, but I don't like asking for those favors, you know? I was late and that's it." Mamoru's voice was heard in the distance. Usagi moved her head in all directions, only to find the devilishly good-looking nerd a couple of steps away from her. He was... Aha, he was talking to Motoki, they were walking towards the exit of the arcade. Usagi couldn't see very well, she was balancing on her tiptoes behind the claw machine. Good luck they both were very tall guys.

"The woman has got a total crush on you! It's not that hard to tell. We don't even share that class but all those things you've told me... Those are not normal for a teacher." Motoki commented, he was carrying a small toolbox.

"My point exactly. I wouldn't want to give her the wrong message or anything, she's my teacher after all..." Mamoru agreed, a fling with a professor was the last thing he needed right now. He ran his hand through his messy locks in exasperation. "Did you turn off the light?"

Motoki stopped walking, he looked at Mamoru suspiciously, then nodded. "Yeah, we finished installing that thing, I picked up the screwdriver and... Yeah, you left the room before I did, I'm sure I turned it off." The blonde male explained, they were doing some heavy work, by the looks of it. "Can't you like drop her class next semester or so? You're already good in English, why did you even enroll for this one?"

Both males exchanged a pair of looks. They chuckled and laughed a bit more, but Usagi couldn't hear the rest of the conversation. She gasped in horror, and an older woman was flirting with Mamoru? Wasn't that... I don't know, err, against the rules? Oh, she wanted to know more! This was super juicy gossip!

So, two things were happening here: One, a certain teacher had a crush on Mamoru. And two, he didn't make it to college on time, otherwise he wouldn't be hanging around the arcade this early. Also, why wasn't Motoki at college either? Ah, she would never understand boys.

Usagi went after them, they were going to the Fruits Parlor just above the Arcade, what were they up to?

Once inside the café, Usagi was dazzled by the smell of food. She took a deep breath and all her senses were filled by the glorious smell of lunch. The girl walked towards the counter and took a seat in one of the stools. Everything was so casual, she wasn't following anyone after all... —Right. She put her school bag on the floor and her beloved Tuxie plush on the counter.

"Morning, Motoki!" She greeted with tremendous cheerfulness, her hand was waving already. A casual smile over her features.

"Odango!" Mamoru choked up on his saliva, they could tell by his coughing attack and the way he almost fell off his seat. Poor man...

"Hey, Usagi! Good morning to you too! Are you okay now?" Motoki shook his head at Mamoru's actions and turned his attention towards the rabbit. He knew about this morning's incident so he figured that question was in order, he cared for Usagi after all.

"Oh my God! You told him!" She gasped totally surprised, brows furrowed and tiny fists hitting the counter. Unbelievable! Mamoru-baka had already made fun of her with his friends... Argh! She's never ever getting in a car with him!

"Of course I did, you're the reason I was late as well." Mamoru laughed it up as he explained, she was so funny when angry, a bit cute I must say, not gonna lie.

"It's fine Usagi-chan, I'm not making fun of you. I just got worried, you told Mamoru you'd hang out at the arcade, but I didn't see you earlier today." Motoki interrupted their glares with his concern. He had roamed around the 'Sailor V' machines, but there hadn't been any sign of the blonde, he simply shrugged.

"Oh, that... Yeah, I stayed outside the school and tried to climb one of the gates at the back. But my foot was already hurting, so I decided I wouldn't take that risk. Then I came here." She confessed her true intentions and how her plans have come to fail. A small responsible side of her thought it would be okay to try to get into school and not miss the whole day. But once she realized she had to jump from very high and land on her feet, she knew it was a bad idea. Plus she had already missed the test, what was the point?

"You... Wanted to climb a gate?" Mamoru was shocked, he rose a brow. Did she really suggest that? What did she know about climbing, to begin with? She hardly knew how to walk, come on. "Please, Usagi... You would have fallen and injured yourself." He commented with a slight tone of anger, he couldn't believe how childish she could be at times.

"Look Mamoru, I've done that more times than I'm proud of, okay? I'm not that clumsy." She snapped back, motioning with her hand for him to take back. He wasn't her father, so he had no right to scold her or tell her what to do and what not. Usa hated being treated like a little girl, if only all of them knew she was Sailor Moon herself. Pft! They'd love to know she's saved everyone's lives countless of times.

"Oh, you two... Drop it, let's have lunch, okay?" Somebody had to stop them, and right now it was Motoki. He wasn't standing their usual arguments at this time of the day, come on, it wasn't even noon. "Black coffee for Mamoru and... I don't know, I'm guessing a chicken sandwich?" His eyes sat upon Mamoru, who nodded almost immediately. He wasn't that picky with food, he knew what he liked and what he didn't. "And you Usa, what would you like?" Motoki turned his head toward his good friend.

"I'm famished! Since I woke up late and all that jazz, I didn't have the chance to eat at home. Can I get some fluffy pancakes?" She replied easily, clapping her hands together. Oh yeah, the sound of food made her way too happy. "We're getting pancakes, Tuxie." She winked at her brand new toy, using a very sweet voice when she talked to him.

Mamoru suppressed a laugh, it was an inner joke he couldn't say out loud, instead he dug about her injury. "So, your foot keeps bothering you, huh?" He pointed out, he had noticed it on the sidewalk, then at his car and now she had mentioned it once more. In plain sight, it wasn't even swollen, which meant it wasn't the ankle, so it had to be something simpler.

"It's nothing, I got hit with the bed footboard this morning. No big deal." Usagi shrugged, it wasn't important to her, sure one of her toes hurt, but it'd go away, right?

"It must be bruised, hence you're in pain, Odango. Could be your nail, could be the top of your foot... You should have it checked." Mamoru was keeping it subtle, but he was dying to make sure she was okay. If only she'd let him...

"I've had a lot worse, trust me, baka." Usagi said smugly, proud of her wounds. Perhaps she did have a point, you know? As Sailor Moon she had dealt with real and severe injuries, but Mamoru didn't know that. So this was important to him... If he knew she was the Senshi of the Moon in person, he'd check her bones after every single battle. He really cared about Usagi...

"Hey, Toki, is it okay if Odango here and I go to the 'Break room' for a moment?" Mamoru raised his voice so Motoki could hear him, and you bet he did. The blonde male left the kitchen, only to find his friend's eyes, he was perplexed, had he heard correctly? He couldn't help but smirk, raising his brows in an odd mix between amusement and surprise.

"Not like that, jeez, Motoki. Odango Atama hurt her foot, I want to check it out. But I don't think you'd appreciate her, removing her shoes right here, would you?" Mamoru had face-palmed himself and rolled his eyes. Did his friend seriously think he wanted to do bad things with the blonde? Oh wow, he must be watching the TV with Unazuki again, she's into all those love stories...

"What? You're not touching my foot, Mamoru." Usagi reacted in a blink because she had heard him, loud and clear. She shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. This was NOT happening.

"Let's go baby girl, it will be just for a moment, relax, will you?" With a mocking tone, Mamoru declared, absolutely decided to give her foot a revision. He held out his hand so she could follow.

Usagi huffed, then crossed her arms and rolled her eyes in annoyance, why must he be so...? "Ugh, fine." She left her seat in a quick hop and grabbed Mamoru's hand, then she squeezed it lightly.

"Very funny, Odango." He let her go and simply led her next to the counter, to a door that said 'Staff only.' He pushed it open and started to walk through a partially narrow hall. They passed two doors as Usagi's curious eyes wandered around.

"I had never crossed that door before..." She mentioned, taking a quick glance over her shoulder. "You seem to know your way around."

"Yeah, haha." Mamoru replied with a cocky smile. "Sometimes I help Motoki with stuff, some other times we like to hang out at the break room. Once the business is closed, of course. Actually, Motoki's father recently let him build his own office. We're finishing it up, down at the arcade, he installed a pair of floating shelves this morning."

The pair entered a small room, it had a small kitchen table, a couple of cabinets, and a pair of red sofas. There was even a microwave. "Okay, sit down, please." Mamoru motioned with his hands for her to take a seat.

"Mamoru... I don't want you to look at my foot." She answered sheepily, her innocent baby blues staring at the floor.

"Usagi, you're forgetting I want to be a doctor. Just take off your damn shoe, you've been complaining all morning." He grabbed her by the shoulders, his piercing gaze assuring her this was okay. No need for her to be embarrassed.

"Fine." She snarled, stamping her foot. Which worked as a reminder she was in pain and Mamoru's kind intentions were something to value.

The blonde threw herself on the sofa, kicking off her left shoe and revealing her sock; which now had a tiny dark spot, near her big toe. She had probably bled from the impact but ignored the whole thing given the hurry she was in. She and Mamoru looked at each other in silence. Usagi admitted he was right while Mamoru wanted to scream 'told you.'

Then, the rabbit remembered the whole incident. She had been so worried about herself she had forgotten he also was a student. "Did you arrive late because of me?" She already knew the answer, but she wanted to know what he would say. He was the one who offered to take her to school that morning, why would he do such a thing if he had his own business to attend?

"Yes, I did. It was a three-hour English lesson, and..." The nerd stopped talking, he didn't feel like sharing the fact his teacher had a crush on him. She would have let him come in even if he was 20 minutes late. "Yeah, I chose to skip it. It's fine." Mamoru wasn't giving away more details, he was focused on Usa's foot now. He crouched down all so professionally and rolled up his sleeves.

"I'm sorry." She looked down at the black-haired male, giving him an apologetic look. She wanted to sink in her fingers on that gorgeous dark hair, it looked soooo soft and—

"Take off the damn sock, don't think I don't know what you're doing." Mamoru raised his voice, he was done with her games, this was for her own good! Why was she refusing to get some medical help?

"Oh, you're impossible Mamoru!" She roared, giving in and removing the stupid white sock.

He took Usagi's foot and examined the ankle, the top of the foot, and the other digits. Just like he guessed, it was something really simple. "Aha... Does it hurt?" He brushed his index finger over her big toe, then looked up at her.

Usagi did wince but said nothing, she held his gaze and breathed sharply.

"Here?" He added some pressure towards the tip of her toe, close to the nail.

"Fuck! Mamoru! That hurts!" And she screamed, the pain was stronger than her wishes to impress the future doctor. The blonde removed her foot in a blink. Now that had actually hurt, what the hell? Her glassy eyes glanced back at him with deep sorrow.

"I know, Odango. It's your toenail." He said oh so tenderly, he could only imagine the pain she felt. Nails were a funny thing, pretty small but man, they did know how to cause discomfort. The pad of his thumb brushed one of her teary eyes.

"What? All of this pain, it's because of my nail?" She got defensive once again, a little 'v' coming together above her nose. That didn't make sense, what was wrong with her nail?

"Yep. Onychocryptosis, it's basically an ingrown toenail." He explained, the blonde seemed so lost about the whole thing, as if he was speaking in another language. Which he was, but oh well. "You need some ointment, otherwise you'll get an infection, it's getting red already. Wait here, Motoki's got a first-aid kit somewhere... I know I set it up." Mamoru was already looking for the medical kit, he remembered it was in one of the cabinets. Then, after a couple of minutes, he found it. It was a small red bag, but it had the basic supplies, including a brand new tube of 'Arnica ointment.'

Mamoru came back to the sofa where he placed the bag. He ducked down once more and made sure to grab Usagi's foot quite firmly; she wasn't running away or anything, not until he had healed her. His hands were quick enough, soon he was holding the ointment tube. The thing cracked open with a classic 'pop', then a small amount of its content was laying on his index finger. He began rubbing the product on her swollen skin, soft motions, and extreme care not to cause her any pain.

"You really love doing this, don't you?" She inquired curiously, completely relaxed under his touch. He would be a great doctor one day, no doubt, she just knew. What she had was a very simple condition, yet he was pouring his heart and soul in trying to make her feel better.

"It's my passion yes." He confirmed, not daring to meet her eyes. Mamoru was too busy working his real magic on the rabbit. At first glance, it looked like he was merely spreading some homeopathic medicine, but he was really using his powers to heal her. His touch would relieve her pain.

Usagi was so amazed at this side of Mamoru, he almost seemed human... Not just some brainy robot. He was a nice person, perhaps if she asked him... I mean, he could say yes and go with her, it wouldn't be like a real date, just... Some theatrics and they both could enjoy the benefits. Okay, yes, she gathered enough courage and said: "Hey Mamoru... I'd like to ask you something." Her poor sweaty palms were already rubbing her skirt's fabric.

"Sure, what's up?" Mamoru peered up, what was she up to? Was she suddenly nervous? He assumed he had touched her sensitive skin for too long and this already looked like something else. He removed his hands almost immediately, a weak blush rose to his own cheeks. Dammit, how did it happen?

Showtime. Usagi knew it was now or never. "If I... Asked you to go out on a date with me, would you do it?" She added a serious cough at the end, this wasn't one of her jokes. Her intent gaze searching for his.

"What?" Mamoru replied so quickly, his eyes were the size of the moon and his brows were reaching the sky. He did NOT see this one coming, ever.

Oh my, his reaction was pure gold. Usagi thanked for it internally, now she was giggling like the schoolgirl she was. "Not like that, silly." She explained, not before slapping his head playfully, she had been dying to do so for a while now. "I meant as friends."

Chiba Mamoru gave her a puzzled look, how was dating a thing friends did? He dropped his lower lip a bit, ready to say something clever, but the blonde rushed out to explain further.

"There's this contest, it's a Valentine's Day thing. The prize is a fancy dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, well... One of their restaurants. I'd love to go and get spoiled and pampered, but... Well..." She bit her lip rather embarrassed. "You know I don't have a boyfriend, so... I don't know, I... I figured I could ask a friend to go with me." She felt her face resembled a strawberry, oh wow, this was beyond awkward, her eyes stared at the ceiling.

"...I see," Mamoru answered quite calmly. He didn't know what to say, I mean... It wasn't what he thought at first, but still, it was something... Unexpected. He frowned and swallowed and, he didn't know how to act normal.

"Would you sign up with me?" She broke the silence, her lips cracked into a smile as she waited. He wouldn't say no to these beautiful puppy eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello everyone, hope you're enjoying the bullshit I write. This fic came up to my mind when I was scrolling down Facebook and saw a post just like the one she saw, except in my case it was an old memory. So I figured it could be cool if Usagi and Mamoru went on a date of this type, plus I haven't seen much of Valentine's Day around, haha.
> 
> Oh well, I'm gonna try to update it with more frequency than my other fic, but you know how this thing goes... Full-time job, the pandemic, Zoom meetings... It's a harsh world out there. Thanks for reading my stuff, and as usual, reviews are love.~
> 
> See ya' round.


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